


Jungle Love

by flailingensues, Synka



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Music, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Kissing, M/M, Musicians, Rock and Roll, Strangers to Lovers, The Music Band AU That No One Asked For, To Be Continued, Translation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-10-15 18:45:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17534204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flailingensues/pseuds/flailingensues, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Synka/pseuds/Synka
Summary: Talented Lead singer Arthur/Genius guitarist Merlin (a.k.a. Music Band AU).Oneshots/snippets, complete fic not yet finished."This kind of playing is untouched by the rest, so much more than idle toying or a communication of emotions. Merlin breathes life into the instrument, animates it so that it speaks before the crowd as if it had a mind and personality of its own."





	Jungle Love

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Jungle Love](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16932819) by [Synka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Synka/pseuds/Synka). 



> **Original Author's note:**  
>  * Talented Lead singer Arthur/Genius guitarist Merlin (a.k.a. Music Band AU).  
> * The band Arthur belongs to got famous before Merlin's.  
> * This is a snippet. Complete fic is yet to finished.  
> * Title is from Jungle Love by The Time.
> 
> **Author's notes for the English translation:**  
>  I am beyond grateful to have the amazing [flailingensues](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flailingensues) translating this short fic (or should I define it as a drabble). To see sentences written in Traditional Chinese translates into English is something truly magical and remarkable. 
> 
> To flailingensues,  
> Huge thanks for your endeavours, love, and friendship. Your endless support is one of the reasons why I did not give up on writing fanfiction. I know you've been extremely busy; sorry for causing you extra trouble. It was a wonderful experience; I am looking forward to having the opportunity to work with you again. Sending you all my love. xxx 
> 
> To the readers,  
> It would be my honour if this fic bring some joy to you. I hope you like it. : ) 
> 
> **Disambiguation:**  
>  * Sage-green Fender Stratocaster: Player Stratocaster with Sage Green Metallic colour.  
> * EP: Extended play record.  
> * The blue burst Epiphone Casino: Epiphone Casino with Blue Burst colour.

This kind of playing is untouched by the rest, so much more than idle toying or a communication of emotions. Merlin breathes life into the instrument, animates it so that it speaks before the crowd as if it had a mind and personality of its own.

The electric guitar lets out a vibrant note. As it subsides, Merlin raises his right hand and reaches out with elegant fingers. A smile takes hold of his lips. “Come on baby, where’s your guts? You wanna make love or what?” Merlin’s voice is rough at the edges as the concert draws to an end.  

Crimson stage lights flood from behind him, shadows sharpening his features. In this moment, his charm hints of something dangerous, just like the song he sings, declaring its love to be wild and primitive, passionate and unrestrained.

The crowd surrounding Arthur is dragged into a frenzied maelstrom. Their cries and cheers circle around him—a well-earned award for a true musician. In the first few rows, Arthur can see Merlin’s genuine, dazzling smile.

Merlin savours the response from the audience. Arthur savours Merlin’s pleasure.

 

The lights dim. Merlin removes his guitar strap and swaps it for his sage-green Fender Stratocaster. Arthur sees him wink in his direction, an arc of thick lashes.

_Damn it_ , Arthur curses inwardly. He’s almost certain that Merlin directed the last two lines of the song at him. One more song. Just one more song, and even the craziest and most devoted spectators will have to leave, and the rest of Merlin’s time will belong to Arthur and Arthur alone.

After tuning, Merlin idly plays a few bars, before saying: "Thank you all for coming here. This is the last song of the night, collected in our latest EP."

Arthur knows this song. Or rather, he understands it. Back when it was just a demo, when the chorus was still cramped in a corner of a page from a battered notebook, when the lyrics were written in the margins of an old newspaper, Arthur understood the past and future that come together to complete it. It's a good song, an excellent song. And when the night was quiet and they found it hard to untangle themselves from each other, Merlin had softly told him, _this song is for you._

Merlin shares a look with his bandmates before continuing. "I hope you all have a lovely night. _"_

　

As per rule, Arthur should wait outside the back door, but Merlin waves him in from the backstage entrance,completely ignoring the “staff only” sign above it.

The tour manager seems to be in on it. He gives Arthur a polite smile and a nod in greeting.

Arthur responds in kind and tugs on his hat, moving backstage as quietly as possible. He follows Merlin’s footsteps to his dressing room.

Backstage is a familiar mess. The thought of his own band’s tours and the catastrophic preparations involved brings a wry smile to Arthur’s face despite himself. With all five of his band members with varying opinions, it was a total mess.

Merlin opens his mouth to speak before the door is even closed. Arthur shuts it for both their sakes, presses Merlin onto the nearest sofa and throws himself into kissing him, only breaking apart a few minutes later, forced by the need to breathe.

Arthur chooses this moment to reply to Merlin’s previous invitation.

“I’m not thinking of _or what_. Just making love.” Arthur traps him in the cage of his arms. “You really shouldn’t flirt with me when there’s a stage between us, Merlin,” he says, pointedly stressing the notes of his lover's name.

Merlin shrugs, palms up, a show of proving his pure intention and innocence, but his lake-blue eyes are sparkling shrewdly and there’s no fooling Arthur.

So Arthur kisses him again, an intimate game that only exists between the two of them.

　

Just as warm flames are flaring into a wildfire, stoked by perfect caresses and friction, the door to Merlin’s room sounds with insolent knocking.

“There’s no time, Merlin. Hurry up.”

It’s Will.

“Also tell that Pendragon guy to get out before I make him.” His tone is teasing, accompanied by a few taps of his drumsticks against the door.

Arthur rolls his eyes shamelessly. Will certainly chooses the best times to interrupt.

“I don’t remember you being the punctual one.” Arthur responds without raising his voice, and Will doesn’t seem to hear him, his voice already growing distant. “Whatever you said, Pendragon, the answer is no.”

Their back-and-forth has Merlin dissolving into laughter, so much so that he can’t even spare Arthur a kiss.

Arthur raises an eyebrow disapprovingly, ruffles Merlin's hair and gets up to leave, but Merlin swiftly grabs his collar and whispers in his ear.

“See you in three hours.”

And presses a card against Arthur’s lips.

Arthur bites it without thinking, only removing it after Merlin pushes him away and gets up. A flip of his fingers reveals the writing and it's owner. It’s the name of a private hotel a few blocks away, and a room number.

“I thought you had to stay in a tour bus as well.” Arthur watches Merlin gathering his clothes and packing his suitcase, the blue burst Epiphone Casino propped against the dressing table. Every guitar Merlin owns has its own name; he has the sentimentality to call this one Ealdor, the same as his family’s record shop. Merlin still keeps his first guitar, an Epiphone PRO-1 acoustic guitar, sleeping in the attic of his old home.

“I should be,” Merlin takes the Casino, puts it away, closes the case. “But what’s the point of coming to London if we don’t stay in a hotel?” The unspoken: he’d been anticipating their meeting for a while.

Arthur doesn't comment, just grasps Merlin's wrist, ceasing the latter's operation of haphazardly stuffing clothes into his suitcase.

“Actually, this is the main reason I came here today.” A CD touches Merlin’s nose. “The draft.”

Merlin catches on and starts laughing, full of unadulterated joy. Arthur knows that as much as Merlin looks forward to their meeting, he also looks forward to this: the demo disc from _Camelot_.

“Not to see me?” Merlin doesn’t give up the chance to tease him regardless.

Arthur had long since let go of Merlin and he waits by the door, answering in a half-truth. “’Course not. I knew you’d book a hotel. All I had to do was wait for the news.” What he doesn’t say is, _and I’d wait for you._

Joy swims in Merlin’s curved eyes. He always knows too much. Arthur wants to see it as a threat, but it’s impossible to do so. He can only feel the warmth of Merlin’s affection, which doesn’t disperse, even long after he closes the door.

**Author's Note:**

> Original Author's notes from Synka:  
> I always wanted to write a story about a band. Band and music AUs are one of my favourites, and this AU fulfilled my wishes.
> 
> Though the draft was mainly filled with my personal preferences, there was another important reason for having Merlin being good at electric guitar and lead guitar. In most bands influenced by rock-and-roll, the electric guitar holds the same weight as the lead singer. I thought that this arrangement could call back to the "two sides of the same coin" dynamic they have in canon and their close relationship.
> 
> I got to use the classic band trope of "playing/performing back-to-back", awesome*.
> 
> Merlin is the guitar-god genius musician, and while Arthur isn't especially outstanding with instruments, his pitch and voice are top-notch. If you view the musical elements as magic in the band AU, this setting is the most fitting imo.
> 
> Without the waffle, what I really want to say is: "Band AU Merthur banging**! Anyway, please get married, you two, no matter in which universe."
> 
> (*=or, as flailingensues likes to say, "ayyyyyyyy")  
> (**=translator takes full responsibility for this choice of word, I'm sorry, I had to)
> 
>  
> 
> Translator's notes: Look at me, posting one day before the draft is deleted... Any mistakes are mine, let me know and I'll try and blast them out. It's kinda frustrating that I can't get all the nuance and delicate charm of Synka's original but at the same time it was so much fun! (comma splices who? I only know jolly old death)  
> Synka is the sweetest peep, go send them some love!  
> Synka, dear, sorry this took ages longer than we both expected, thank you for keyboard-smashing over it nonetheless. Here's to the next translation being a lot faster!


End file.
